(Press-News.org) Weight-loss (GLP-1 mimicking) drugs may help prevent further tissue damage following a heart attack, significantly reducing the risk of further life-threatening complications that affect up to half of all patients, according to a new study led by the University of Bristol and University College London (UCL).
Published in Nature Communications, the research suggests that GLP-1 weight-loss drugs could offer a promising new therapeutic approach for improving heart attack recovery.
Previous studies have shown that GLP-1 weight-loss drugs can lower the risk of serious heart problems, regardless of a person's other health conditions or the amount of weight lost.
In this study, researchers wanted to understand the mechanisms underpinning how these drugs support heart health. Building on their previous work showing that small contractile cells called pericytes constrict coronary capillaries at the onset of ischaemia, when the heart isn’t receiving enough oxygen-rich blood, the team investigated how GLP-1 might reverse these blockages.
Dr Svetlana Mastitskaya, Senior Lecturer in Cardiovascular Regenerative Medicine at Bristol Medical School: Translational Health Sciences (THS) and the study’s lead author, explained: “In nearly half of all heart attack patients, tiny blood vessels within the heart muscle remain narrowed, even after the main artery is cleared during emergency medical treatment. This results in a complication known as ‘no-reflow,’ where blood is unable to reach certain parts of the heart tissue.
"Our previous research has shown that this narrowing of blood vessels contributes significantly to ‘no-reflow,’ a complication that increases the risk of death or hospital admission for heart failure within a year of a heart attack. But our latest findings are surprising in that we have found GLP-1 drugs may prevent this problem."
Using animal models, the team discovered that GLP-1 drugs improve blood flow to the heart following a heart attack by activating potassium channels and thus relaxing pericytes. This allows constricted blood vessels to dilate and reduces the risk of further damage to the heart.
Professor David Attwell, Jodrell Professor of Physiology at UCL, and the study’s co-lead, added: “With an increasing number of similar GLP-1 drugs now being used in clinical practice, for conditions ranging from type 2 diabetes and obesity to kidney disease, our findings highlight the potential for these existing drugs to be repurposed to treat the risk of ‘no-reflow’ in heart attack patients, offering a potentially life-saving solution.”
Dr Svetlana Mastitskaya is funded by the British Heart Foundation.
END
GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic could cut risk of major heart complications after heart attack, study finds
2026-03-03
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Study finds Earth may have twice as many vertebrate species as previously thought
2026-03-02
For every recognized vertebrate species, there are on average two unrecognized, or "cryptic" species, according to a new study led by University of Arizona researchers. The findings suggest that global vertebrate biodiversity has been significantly underestimated, which could have consequences for conservation efforts if these hidden species are not properly identified.
"Each species that you and I can see and recognize as distinct may actually be hiding two different species, on average," said John Wiens, ...
NYU Langone orthopedic surgeons present latest clinical findings and research at AAOS 2026
2026-03-02
NYU Langone Health orthopedic experts are presenting their latest clinical findings and research discoveries at the 2026 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), held March 2 to 6 in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Among the topics presented:
Physiological, not biological, age should determine ACL reconstruction in athletic patients over 50.
AI chatbot allows hip and knee arthroplasty patients to ask basic pre- and postoperative questions, as well as potentially embarrassing queries, at any time.
Patients with metal allergies are at higher risk of ...
New journal highlights how artificial intelligence can help solve global environmental crises
2026-03-02
A newly launched scientific journal is calling for a deeper integration of artificial intelligence into environmental research, arguing that AI may be one of the most powerful tools available to address climate change, pollution, and resource sustainability.
The inaugural editorial of Artificial Intelligence & Environment outlines how environmental challenges have become increasingly interconnected and global in scale. From worsening climate disruption and biodiversity loss to pollution and energy insecurity, ...
Study identifies three diverging global AI pathways shaping the future of technology and governance
2026-03-02
A new international study finds that artificial intelligence development is increasingly splitting into three distinct global systems led by the United States, China, and the European Union, each shaped by different policy priorities, innovation models, and governance philosophies. The research suggests that this divergence may permanently reshape the technological landscape and complicate global cooperation on AI safety, standards, and innovation.
The study, published in Artificial Intelligence & Environment, combines policy ...
Machine learning advances non targeted detection of environmental pollutants
2026-03-02
A new review highlights how machine learning is transforming the way scientists detect and measure organic pollutants in the environment, offering powerful new tools to overcome long standing analytical challenges.
Environmental organic pollutants are extraordinarily diverse, ranging from pharmaceuticals and pesticides to industrial additives and their transformation products. Many of these compounds lack commercially available reference standards, making it difficult to identify and quantify them using conventional analytical methods.
In a comprehensive review published in Artificial ...
ACP advises all adults 75 or older get a protein subunit RSV vaccine
2026-03-02
Embargoed for release until 5:00 p.m. ET on Monday 2 March 2026
Follow @Annalsofim on X, Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky, and Linkedin
Below please find summaries of new articles that will be published in the next issue of Annals of Internal Medicine. The summaries are not intended to substitute for the full articles as a source of information. This information is under strict embargo and by taking it into possession, media representatives ...
New study finds earliest evidence of big land predators hunting plant-eaters
2026-03-02
A new study examining fossil evidence shows large land predators were already hunting big plant-eating animals more than 280 million years ago. University of Toronto Mississauga researchers Jordan M. Young, Tea Maho, and Robert Reisz studied bite marks on the skeletons of three young herbivores from the early Permian of Texas revealing feeding patterns from multiple predators and a glimpse into how animals hunted and interacted with each other.
“This discovery shows predator-prey hierarchies were formed earlier than previously expected,” said Professor Reisz, co-author of Earliest direct evidence of trophic interactions between terrestrial apex predators and large herbivores. ...
Newer groundwater associated with higher risk of Parkinson’s disease
2026-03-02
EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE UNTIL 4:00 P.M. ET, MONDAY, MARCH 2, 2026
Highlights:
A new study has found people whose drinking water came from newer groundwater had a higher risk of Parkinson’s disease than those whose water came from older groundwater.
The study does not prove that newer groundwater causes Parkinson’s; it only shows an association.
Older groundwater typically contains fewer contaminants because it is usually deeper and better shielded from contaminants.
Researchers found drinking water drawn from ...
New study identifies growth hormone receptor as possible target to improve lung cancer treatment
2026-03-02
Researchers at Ohio University have discovered what may be a new way to fight lung cancer that is resistant to other treatments. The study published in the International Journal of Molecular Science and led by Goll-Ohio Eminent Scholar and distinguished professor John J. Kopchick, Ph.D., and his graduate student Arshad Ahmad at the Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, found that blocking the growth hormone receptor may help make lung cancer treatments more effective.
Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States and worldwide. The ...
Routine helps children adjust to school, but harsh parenting may undo benefits
2026-03-02
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Starting elementary school is a major milestone, but it can be a difficult transition as children can experience separation anxiety or have trouble adapting to school rules and structure. However, a team led by Penn State researchers found that consistent routines in the home can reduce the likelihood that children will struggle with the school transition.
In a publication in Developmental Psychology, the researchers found that when rural, low-income families had stronger routines — ...